Opinion 鈥� Page 363
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CommentWhen is a duck an albatross?
Davis Langdon鈥檚 recent purchase of architect DEGW may mark another mutation in the DNA of cost managers. But there are reasons to think it will be a problematic one
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Comment
Devon鈥檚 deadline: Perils of e-tendering
If a contractor has to submit an electronic tender by a certain deadline, what excuses can it offer if it鈥檚 a few minutes late? Well, as this case makes clear, there aren鈥檛 many 鈥�
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Wonders & blunders - 28 August 2009
Geoff French considers two behemoths of the industrial age, and while he praises the masterful transformation of one, hopes only that the other will be put out of its misery
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CommentTrain drain: Impact of ConstructionSkills鈥� cutbacks
ConstructionSkills鈥� cutbacks could mean companies get 20% less in training grants than before, which is why it is important to be aware of all the changes
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How do I鈥� obtain a summary judgment?
In the latest entry in our guide to cutting your legal bills to the bone, Claire McNamara explains why and when and how you should apply for a summary judgment
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On the receiving end
鈥淚 would think very hard about working in Dubai again. It has done us a lot of damage.鈥� So says David Marks, the co-founder of architect Marks Barfield. Anyone reading about what happened to him after his client in the emirate quietly stopped paying its bills will find it easy ...
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Comment
GDP figures stick with estimate of 2.2% fall in Q2 construction output
No surprises in the GDP figures out today, after the savage revisions made to the previous quarter.Things aren't quite as bad as first thought. GDP was revised up gently from a drop of 0.8% in the second quarter to a drop of 0.7%. This was down to a more favourable ...
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Comment
What consultation?
Are other readers, like me, disgusted and frustrated at the so-called consultation on Parts L and F of the 星空传媒 Regulations
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Fighting the good fight
The worrying figures in your article 鈥淪mall Steps鈥� on women in industry (31 July, page 3) are no surprise to me
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As a matter of fact
John Stewart (14 August, page 32) points out a couple of alleged errors in my column of 7 August.
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CommentOld panels for new
Your feature on the Grosvenor Waterside buildings by Make (星空传媒 7 August) showed that the patterned aluminium walling has quality when seen up close
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Comment
What's new in schools
The 拢45bn 星空传媒 Schools for the Future programme proved it鈥檚 weathering the recession this week pretty well this week, with two major schemes reaching financial close.The deals - on the first phase of the 拢2.4bn Birmingham BSF and a 拢500m scheme in Durham 鈥� prove that, despite continuing issues over ...
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Comment
Caution rules in house price debate
The latest Nationwide house price survey for August recorded the fourth rise on the trot and puts the average price of a house 拢12,500 higher than in February. Surely this means the slump is over and the price of houses is back on the way up?Well no, or should I ...
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Comment
拢9 billion owed in trade debt to UK's building specialists
It's a risky time to be owed money. Contractors and clients in the property world are falling like flies.So it was quite disturbing to calculate that 拢9 billion is outstanding in trade debt to the UK's building specialist contractors. And that doesn't include all the specialists involved in civils and ...
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Signs of life for housing?
This week has seen the release of data from CLG, covering the second quarter鈥檚 housing starts, and CML, providing the latest data on mortgage lending. Both have seen sharp increases. Housing starts in England during the second quarter of 2009 were 63% higher than in 2009 Q1 following the high ...
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Comment
Black swans, perfect storms...
These credit crunch descriptors come to mind when trying to describe the potential impact of the Government鈥檚 seeming intent to cut the amount tenants will have to pay in rent next year. With experts suggesting that the retail price index will fall below minus 2% in September, the month when ...
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House building figures show huge jump in starts and completions
There were two big boosts in the numbers released today for house builders.First, the latest Government data on homes built in England are by far the best for more than a year with a massive leap in the quarter to June.Second, gross mortgage lending in July was up 26% on ...
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Summer sale has started in the housing market, says Rightmove
Today's Rightmove figures showing a drop of 2.2% in the price sellers are asking for their homes provides a reminder of the need to remain cautious about the direction of the housing market.The numbers are obviously being spun to point to the 拢5,000 drop in prices providing summer bargains to ...
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CommentPartnerships for Schools: How to get our fingers burnt
It may be more the season for barbecues than bonfires, but the trail of lighter fuel moved a bit closer to one of the most influential quangos in construction this week.
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RICS survey finds some breathing space before the real storm hits
The surveyors' body RICS found that public sector funding was providing some much needed relief for the construction sector.The shift in the numbers in its construction market survey was quite marked. The balance of firms seeing a decline in workload reduced to -26 from the -45 figure in the first ...